Possesion wins again. Japan 1 USA 0 Algarve cup

FriscoSoccer05 wrote:Can anyone answer why this is?

California leads all states with five members of the U.S. Olympic team calling the Golden State their home. Four players from New Jersey hail from the Garden State, meaning half the players on the team are from California or New Jersey.


why California and New Jersey for the most WNT players?

Not too surprising given the talent that SoCal produces, but I'm willing to bet that because so much of the national team infrastructure is based in SoCal, it leads to the coaches knowing more of the local players and that's just who they're comfortable with.

New Jersey? No idea.

not much to comment on. US crushes Japan in a friendlies doesn't erase the fact that they lost to a team they used to dominate on a regular basis that is much slower and smaller at just about every position on the field. The US coach seems to be a little smarter than you are and is trying to make changes. She has said the time that the US can dominate the womens game based on pure athleticism is coming to an end and is making the adjustment "before" that number 1 ranking is gone.

If you think athleticism over-rules possession soccer, you need to stick to football!

RunsLikeWind wrote:

Lawnboy wrote:Interesting. The U.S. looses the World Cup to Japan in a shoot-out following a lucky corner kick goal, and bam! Three pages of slams erupt on this forum about how U.S. soccer sucks and the women are no longer the best in the world -- that we have been surpassed by other nations who are turning their more technically proficient training loose on their females.

Then the U.S. crushes the Japanese several days ago and not one single comment? Hmmm.

I would say our #1 ranking is perfectly safe. Our female players are the best in the world without doubt.

It is the latest fad from semi-knowledgable soccer parents to jump on the possession bandwagon and then start to criticize any type of soccer that uses athletic attributes. The possession style will come and go and USA women will still be #1 in the WORLD. The possession style is a fad now because of Barcelona but it has hit its peak. Barcelona was knocked out of the CL by an athletic counterattacking Chelsea team that had less then 35 % possesion in that game. Spain will be knocked out of the EURO's by a strong, fast athletic and big GERMAN side.

Possession soccer is not a fad, it is a fad to those rooted in the "KICK IT" crowd. There is a reason our mens side is not a dominant force in the mens game. Our women just so happened to have always been the biggest and strongest while the rest of the world really didnt give a rats about the womens game. That isnt the case anymore. Bigger and Faster will not always get it done, controlling a game, controlling speed of play, tempo and flow of a game will on the average get it done time and time again.

If I wanted to watch KICK IT soccer... I would watch Tennis instead... I like the beauty of possession soccer... I like seeing skill, tactical thinking instead of "Kick it to fast forward" then watch some skill on the 1v1 with the keeper.

I too like possession soccer but am I the only one who thinks it takes skill, knowledge and tactical awareness to place a long through ball right at the perfect spot for a sprinting attcker to run on at the right angle? Playing a style that uses fast aggressive counter attacks is a far cry from kick ball.

Lawnboy wrote:

FriscoSoccer05 wrote:Can anyone answer why this is?

California leads all states with five members of the U.S. Olympic team calling the Golden State their home. Four players from New Jersey hail from the Garden State, meaning half the players on the team are from California or New Jersey.


why California and New Jersey for the most WNT players?

Not too surprising given the talent that SoCal produces, but I'm willing to bet that because so much of the national team infrastructure is based in SoCal, it leads to the coaches knowing more of the local players and that's just who they're comfortable with.

New Jersey? No idea.

They know people. People you don't want to meet. People who will make you an offer you can't refuse.

my2cents wrote:I too like possession soccer but am I the only one who thinks it takes skill, knowledge and tactical awareness to place a long through ball right at the perfect spot for a sprinting attcker to run on at the right angle? Playing a style that uses fast aggressive counter attacks is a far cry from kick ball.

Nope, you're not alone. I watched the US/Japan game and can think of a few times that Rampone (or maybe it was Buehler) beautifully placed the ball to Wambach or Morgan. Great precision.

I 2nd that. The point of playing possession is to maneuver to an advantage and attempt to score. Playing keep away for the sake of it isn't any better than playing kick ball. If memory serves, in the World Cup final the US had multiple scoring opportunities and multiple shots on goal that were screwed up. If the US takes advantage of just one of those early opportunities, the entire flow of the game changes. Its convenient hindsight to say that Japan's possession game is what beat the US that day. IMO we gave that game away. Yes, the rest of the world is catching up and the US needs to adjust and also produce better soccer players. However, I say don't throw the baby out with the bath water...don't abandon our strengths and take away our innate aggressiveness to try and be something we're not. rather, increase our skill level and raise the complexity of our tactics to better deal with Japan's style.

In terms of our young, developing kids: More 3v3 progressing to 5v5 would be helpful. I also believe all players should play all positions on the field. My dd started as a back, even though she has always been the fastest player on her team. She has since moved on to play both midfield and forward. IMO that was a wonderful experience because she learned the game from different perspectives with different primary objectives - defensive vs offensive. I also believe parents make the mistake of placing an over-emphasis on playing D1. Playing where your dd has the opportunity to make mistakes, during a game, and not get yelled at by her coach is key. The kids should be encouraged to work with the ball and dribble, even if it results in a loss of possession. Kids end up playing kick ball, even if a coach claims not to, when they are scared of making a mistake. For some that means D1 is the right place, but IMO many D1 players would be better off developing their skills in D2 in order to become better players when they get to high school age.

There is a very big difference in playing possession with strategic balls placed over the top or even long and sending every ball long and down the middle of the pitch to the woman in a mans body that is Wambach.

Who will be there in the near future to replace all those headed goals she has scored over the years? Does Alex Morgan have the frame or style of play to pull that off?

The issue with the US women at this point and the rest of the world catching up is that now the US better make every shot they get on those long balls because the other team possessing the ball for 60-70% of the game is going to severely limit those shots on goal. That is how you end up with the World Cup final or the last game between the two. If the US produced more women at that level that played a possession style with the tactical knowledge it would be game over!

Im out, brisket is calling me!